Embracing Our Imperfections: Lessons from a Funhouse Mirror
"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." – Ralph Waldo Emerson
As clinicians, we often hold ourselves to impossibly high standards, scrutinizing every aspect of our clinical performance. This has been socialized into us since the beginning of our medical training and for most of us, many years prior to that. While these standards exist for a good reason, this can result in a self-critical mindset that often spills over into our personal life and leads to feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. For many, this includes our personal appearance as well.
Pause for a moment and consider things about your appearance that you don’t like. We all have them. What if we could reimagine our perceived flaws and see them through a different lens?
Recently while spending some time with friends on our patio, we noticed that a mirror there caused distortions of our reflections like those of a funhouse mirror. We laughed hysterically at the absurdity of elongated necks, bulbous heads, enormous ears, and body builder biceps. Later, as I reflected as to how easy it was to find these exaggerated distortions humorous, the thought struck me – what if I could apply this same light-hearted perspective to my real-life "flaws"? How might I learn to laugh at my imperfections instead of letting them too often weigh me down?
Indeed, it is quite easy, particularly in our social media saturated world, to lose sight of our inner beauty and sense of self-worth and instead fixate on anything we view as “wrong” with us. Just as the funhouse mirror's distortions are not a true representation of reality, neither are our self-critical thoughts. By acknowledging that our perceptions are often distorted – whether by a funhouse mirror or our internal critic – we can begin to view ourselves with greater self-compassion. Through this lens, we can start to challenge and reframe these negative perceptions, allowing for a more balanced and forgiving self-view.
Yes, we can be our own harshest critics. Next time you catch yourself fixating on a flaw or mistake, try to imagine it reflected in a funhouse mirror. Laugh at the distortion, recognize its exaggeration, and remind yourself that imperfections are a natural part of being human. Embrace the unique qualities that make you who you are and remember that your worth is not defined by your perceived flaws. Consider sharing some of these challenging thoughts with your PeerRx partner and laugh together at these silly but quite real perceptions. By catching your negative self-talk early and practicing this more playful perspective of humor and acceptance, you will add the spirit of the funhouse mirror to your well-being toolbox. It has sure helped me laugh at my “Dumbo” ears, which, I smile and remind myself, are not.